Dave is an architect and a photographer and, boy, does it show in these gorgeous photos of the cat tower that he and his girlfriend Alison made for their two new arrivals Milo and Lyra (there are only two, although the photo above shows one Milo and six Lyras!) The best part is that this beautiful and functional cat climbing and scratching tower made excellent use of reclaimed and inexpensive materials, costing under $40.
Using the remains of an Ikea wardrobe, some old carpet tile samples, waste cardboard rolls, heavy string, and pine edging, Dave created this sturdy structure that can be expanded in all directions as the kitties grow and need more room to play. Dave even created a 3-D model of the tower before construction, just to make sure it would fit in the space.
Thanks to Dave and Alison for sharing this awesome DIY project. You can see more photos on Flickr.
September 26th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Wow, that’s pretty cool. I wish I was as crafty.
September 26th, 2009 at 8:37 am
love it and love the 3d model–such an architect thing to do. i drafted up my sister’s nursery, my living room, etc. to do furniture layouts…too hilarious.
September 26th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Brilliant! Better than so many of the commercial items out there at multiples of the price.
More instructions would be really really appreciated.
Especially on how to attach the scratching/support poles to the (presumably) MDF from Ikea.
(I’ve got this old Ikea TV cart that’s beggin’ for a “hack”…)
September 26th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Very cool!! Congrats!
September 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Milo and Lyra are a very fetching duo and their people made them a gorgeous and functional, very moderncat play station! They’ll have years and years of fun with it, undoubtedly!
September 26th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Wow this is absolutely beautiful ! Now I am totally inspired to
create a cat tower. Mine might look a bit more rudimentary hehe.
Well done Dave and Alison – Milo and Lyra are beautiful too !
September 26th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
The “kitty poles” are adorable. A gym fit for any fat cat! Construction wise, they seem to be quite do-able, too. I wouldn’t be shy at attempting one!
September 27th, 2009 at 3:02 am
Awesome project and super cute kittens
September 27th, 2009 at 11:32 am
I love the time lapse photo of Milo and Lyra playing on the tower. Lyra looks like she is a bit more adventerous than Milo though!
September 28th, 2009 at 8:50 am
That is so cool! I love the photos…it looks like a great place for Milo and Lyra to play
October 15th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Love it! It’s very modern and would fit any type of interior design your home has. I love the tiled carpet idea. Sounds much easier to deal with than buying carpet remnants. I actually have a cat tree that has lasted some 10 years! It’s still sturdy and has original carpet on it. Doesn’t look too shabby. Cost a good chunk of budget though. Being able to make a DIY version is a huge plus – cheaper too!